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Month: March 2015

Yes, this post is late. I’d go so far as to say that, by now, this post has lost all significance, yet I cannot get a wink of sleep until I know that this post is out there, in my own little corner of the Internet.

For those of you who don’t know what this post is about from the title, read on for what I hope is a helpful guide to one of the greatest British creations I have ever had the pleasure to behold; for those of you who did figure it out, read on to relive each and every moment of the wonder that is Kingsman.

And now you know. This post is about Kingsman: The Secret Service, a movie which hit theatres at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. It is one of the funniest and downright entertaining movies I have ever seen. However, first things first, following is the best trailer I could find of said movie, and I’d suggest you watch it before reading further on.

I shall be moving forward with the assumption that, like me, many people haven’t yet seen the movie. What this means for you is that there will be NO SPOILERS in this post, at all. Doesn’t that feel good to read? So exactly what is it that I will be talking about, you might ask. Well, there are some things which I loved about this movie more than others, and I noticed that my friends didn’t seem to pick up on them, or simply didn’t enjoy them as much as I did. The aim of this post is to familiarise you with the elements of this movie which had me impressed beyond compare.

1. Samuel L. Jackson

I had tears in my eyes in every scene involving Samuel L Jackson. Very rarely, if ever, have I laughed as much as I did watching him do his magic on screen. Every single one of his dialogues was exceptionally well written and delivered, providing the perfect contrast to all the “British” in the movie. If there has ever been an antagonist worth falling in love with, it is Valentine, Jackson’s character in the movie. Remember to pay special attention to him while watching the movie, because this is one element of the movie you just cannot miss.

2. The British slang

It’s very obvious therefore you’ll notice it right away, but let me assure you that unless you pay careful attention to what is being said and the precise way that it’s being said in, you won’t get the best out of it. Of course, it’s more fascinating if you’re, as myself, less familiar with the slang. Nevertheless, even if you use the slang in your daily conversation, there is something about it being used so crudely in a movie which is otherwise so sophisticated that just makes you want to punch the person sitting next to you in excitement. I suggest you take a close friend with you to the movie.

3. The insane action

Yes, what you see is indeed Colin Firth with a gun, in a church where people are killing each other. The action shown is so bizarre and unnerving that you are compelled to stare at the screen, while desperately wanting to turn away at the same time. The thing which makes the mayhem so much wilder is the way it has been filmed: chaotically. In perhaps the cleverest decision in action that I have ever seen, there are no clever and precise shots, but just a mess of camera and people and lights and weaponry an loads, loads of blood.

4. The suits

Here we have the pleasure of seeing Colin Firth in a dashing pinstripe suit, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. In a movie dedicated to a spy agency, we were bound to see some stunning garments, but little did we expect that we would be presented with wave upon wave of beautiful tailoring (cue amused sighs from those who’ve seen the movie). Each suit speaks volumes about the kind of financing and costume design which must have gone into this movie. Remember to look closely look at the attire of the Kingsmen in every scene.

4. The spy movie references

I don’t mean just the spoken references, and know that there are many. Almost every other scene is a direct or indirect reference to some or the other spy movie or book, sometimes cleverly disguised and at other times openly revealed for viewer amusement. If you’re not a great spy-movie fan, then I suggest you get a bit of knowledge about some of the more famous works (yes, I mean James Bond) belonging to the genre, so as to better enjoy the clever puns and dialogues alluding to the same.

4. All the ridiculousness

What you see is, in fact, a person with blades for feet. A friend of mine repeatedly expressed discomfort at the sheer amount of insanity that was involved in the plot of the movie, which, funnily enough, I found to be one of the most entertaining features of the movie. I was overjoyed at the ridiculous turn of events which came about with every scene, not only because it kept me up and interested, but because there is so much joy in seeing something silly being pulled off so skilfully before your very eyes. Indeed, the entire plot of the movie is far-fetched, as mentioned more than once by the characters of the movie themselves. All that means for me is a willingness to provide sheer, unadulterated entertainment to the viewers on the part of the film-makers. Do keep an open mind while watching this movie, it makes everything better.

5. The soundtrack

Exploding head, yes; moving on, you should be used to crazy by now. The reason this picture is here is because the soundtrack used for this particular scene is mind blowing (pun intended). Indeed, the soundtrack of the entire movie is simply jaw dropping. However, more than the music itself, it’s the strategic placement of the tracks which had me swayed all along. For every scene of consequence, there is a soundtrack unique to both the rest of the movie and similar scenes in other movies.

6. Samuel L Jackson

He is far too awesome to be mentioned just once.

I may have missed a ton of points, and I deeply apologise for that. These five elements stuck with me the most, for whatever reason, and I just had to express them. If you have any other points which you think should be on this list, please do put them in the comments below. Overall, this is undoubtedly one of the best movies I have ever seen and, try as I might, I cannot get over its sheer brilliance. I hope to soon lay my hands on “The Secret Service”, which is the comic book series by Mark Miller and Dave Gibbons which inspired the movie.

I hope you enjoyed the post and that, even if you’ve watched it before, I’ve compelled you to watch the movie.

For those of you who have seen the movie and don’t mind spoilers, here is a particularly interesting article highlighting the various elements of the movie which I hope you enjoy: